D#2 HW#7 Grammer Assignment 1

7.) Grammar assignment #1
I used the Purdue Owl site (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/), last semester it was required that you take a grammar quiz followed by additional practice in your particular problem area. For me that would be the use of commas. I tend to through them in when i feel like it and leave them out when i don't. This site also shed light on the fact that people like myself often also misuse commas in place of a semi colon and vise versa. I also used the Grammar Girl site (http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/) mainly because it said "quick and dirty tips". From this site I learned when to use a colon (when joining two complete sentences). I found this to be the most interesting since I realized that I have never used a colon in any writing have ever done. Although I feel like I got a better understanding of when to use a comma, semi colon, and a colon, I know it will prove to be something i struggle with in the future.

I am not currently working on any piece of writing at the moment so I am choosing to reflect on a couple of paragraphs I wrote for a paper last semester that reflects my poor use of commas and semi colons which was ultimately reflected in my grade.

A diamond in the rough; or a rough looking diamond? My brother and his wife seemed to be able to look past what other people saw when looking at the petite bungalow style home they purchased in the Coronado historical district in Phoenix. Most of us saw an old tattered small shed like building, consisting of nothing more than a few neat looking light fixtures that didn’t even run off of electricity. Almost nothing had been done to the house since it had been built in the late 1920s. Being that my brother is a history buff, he was all about the house from the start. He didn’t just see the house as a home, but more as a standing piece of history, a gem in the midst of a mine carved throughout the years and time periods. Not to mention he’s a “do it yourself” fanatic. They purchased the house with the intent to restore it to its earlier years of beauty tying in with the functionality of modern times.

The Great Depression brought a new style as development slowed in Phoenix. While some homeowners were obligated to sell, others converted their garages into living spaces. The owners moved into the newly converted garage space, and rented out the main house in an effort to hold on to their property and survive the economic situation. When the country came out of the Depression, these particular residents were able to move back into their homes and then rent out the converted garages as living spaces. The Depression also swayed the architecture of the Coronado district as it slowed development. When construction started up again, the styles of homes had changed and the outcome can be seen today in two specific areas within the Coronado district. Firstly in the area between 7th and 12th Streets, designs date back to the 1920’s, while the rest of the district dates to the late 1930’s and 1940’s. In late 1939, Coronado became the home of the first planned, mass-produced subdivision of tract homes in Phoenix. Developer, Andy Womack built the Womack Subdivision and led the way to development of the remaining tracts in the Coronado Neighborhood east of 12th Street by others who followed his success.

Although these little commas don't seem to be a huge part of the paper itself, they made the difference in my grade. I think the main thing that i learned about comma usage is that if I actually would read out loud what I write I can figure out where the pause should be or the obvious joining of two sentence fragments. It also helps to practice these skills on the Purdue Owl site.